Everyone Is Doing 3D

[Cat]

printed stations, even JR West!
https://soranews24.com/2025/03/13/worlds-first-3d-printed-train-station-building-planned-by-jr-west/
 
If we ask nicely, maybe they will release STL files scaled down for smaller printing.
: 3

[RS18U]

Interesting.  However the article says the new station will be the same size as the old, then says the new will be 10 square meters/108 square feet but the old station looks much bigger than this?  The new one does indeed look like that size.

[kuro68000]

Maybe most of that old building isn't the station itself.

[Cat]

It certainly looks possible that only one end of the building is currently in use as the station.
 
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1000096,135.1153394,3a,30y,95.13h,93.37t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sksIJQMhexC1gDWB-Lnd0Gg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-3.368264918910498%26panoid%3DksIJQMhexC1gDWB-Lnd0Gg%26yaw%3D95.13218676379354!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[bc6]

Very cool, I want 3D printed Koki next lol. 

https://archive.md/h9xTa

[kuro68000]

It was printed off-site and then assembled on location, so not all that dissimilar to most buildings it seems, except for the 3D printed part. The speed at which things can be 3D printed is the key. I wonder how long it will last.

[cteno4]

Admin note: posts merged.

 

jeff

[RS18U]

16 hours ago, bc6 said:

Very cool, I want 3D printed Koki next lol. 

https://archive.md/h9xTa

Good to see a follow up on the actual installation.

[bc6]

Its funny how 3D printing seems to be mainstream now.

[RS18U]

We just finished a chat with our financial advisor and he noted that in places like North America and Asia (China, Korea, Japan, etc) using this kind of technology may be the only way out of aging populations/reduced skilled trades, that and robots.

[cteno4]

Yes, general prefab also helps a lot as its fast to teach a more specific construction bit than general construction and you are also in a consistent environment, tools, and jobs. 

 

Jeff

[kuro68000]

I was going to say, pre-fab in a factory must automate a lot of it. I've seen German houses build that way and they are fantastic. I wish they were more mainstream here in the UK, but unfortunately anything not made of brick in the traditional way is very difficult and expensive to insure, and often banks won't lend on them.

[cteno4]

It’s slowly catching on here in the US. Price can be lower with usually higher quality as things are built in a very controlled setting than on a job site. Also they usually use thicker walls for strength to be transported which leads to better storm and earthquake resistance, thermal efficiency and fire safety. Amazing to see houses built of 3-6 modules that look like a fancy stick built house. Big thing is waste is very low as cad systems work out all the lengths that need to be cut and they are cnc cut off and laser etched with part numbers for assembly. Same goes with panel materials and siding. Worker safety is much better as you can control the work environment for dangers and have overhead cranes to lift things, etc. Really is smart. Also way faster to produce the houses. A couple of decades ago after a series of bad hurricanes in the mid west there were several thousand houses to be rebuilt fast and they realized with the available work force it would take years to replace them at more remote locations, so they set up a modular production factory and had folks back in houses in a couple of years.

 

jeff

[RS18U]

When I was in Japan last November I got a tour of a sawmill that also did prefab homes.  Seemed to be pretty small output with a lot of handwork involved.

[cteno4]

The work is a lot easier in prefab than on a job site. Lumber is pretty much computer cut with CNC system so wa faster than on a table saw and chop saw individually and having to measure and get numbers right. I saw about one place that even laser scanned studs to pick the truer ones to use for longer stuff and the warpy ones to be chopped down and even chop out a really bad bit and salvage as much as possible. The system knows the whole cut list for the house so can find useful places to use any scrap bits. Parts a usually coded or measurements laser etched on them as well so easy to figure out what goes where. Framing and such has huge jigs that can be set to different sized to quickly hold framing nailing. Winches and lifts to easily pop up framing and lift things in place. Just way less labor involved than running around a job site doing it all by hand. I did house stick built construction when i was a kid and most of my jobs were all the scutt work of cutting, marking and getting parts to the guys on the site. They loved it as usually they didnt have youngster doing this job and had to do it themselves and a lot slower. I was always amazed that it was not a bit more coordinated than it usually is but thats usually due to most stick built being not serial so every thing ends up being custom. They laughed at me as after the first week of cutting stud bits for the crew i started to pile my cut offs in stacks of like 4-6” steps in lengths, but the quickly saw my waste pile was pretty small and all small bits! Some things like stud spacers and such can be mass done and full height studs, but a lot is custom and tedious to do one by one. Also so much more safe as all out of the elements and platforms to mean you are not on your knees all the time and roll around staging so they dont have to be on ladders. I would have way preferred doing the jobs in a warehouse over the job site as it was dangerous around the job site. Just a different world of building. Scrap is usually used to heat the warehouse [one place had a nearby wood pellet factory they traded cuttoffs for pellets].

 

I read a lot on it and watched a number of videos on prefab module building over the years and visited one place, as we toyed with it 25 years back when we moved to dc area. At the time a friend was doing one in California from a 2400 sqft house. Longest bit was the excavation, foundation, and water/sewer connections. House was on the foundation, buttoned up, plumbing and electrical connected, walls junctions patched and painted and ready to move in in a week! Really solid house and 6” walls and crazy insulation level. House has held up really well in 25 years and no weird later issues later. Construction price was about 80% of stick built and they would not have done he 6” studs! He saved more by digging the foundation himself and doing most all the back fill and foundation prep work.

 

Another friend here in dc had a 3 story house built from modules and I didnt know it was a modular house as it looked very custom design. It’s on a nasty hill and very skinny little street doing down to it and i was shocked they could get the crane and the semis down it to fly them in. 7 different modules used. Pre built rafter system then was put on by hand as they opted for tall ceilings. But again a couple week install. I have no idea how they got the biggie crane down that little street, I should ask to see pictures of it! The modules had to fly over 2 houses from where the trucks could stop to get to their foundation.

 

jeff